The Immortal
by Kai Hart
Summary: Blitz attempted to keep Evi from getting herself killed. Of course she objected loudly to any kind of intervention on her behalf. A good majority of the crewman would have liked to get rid of her, but Blitz had his own reasons for keeping her aboard.
1. Chapter 1

October 24, 2008

Evi fled through the Goldenwood, her bare feet calloused over, crushing small twigs and undergrowth as she flew between the tall oaks. Her hair was curdled into an angry dirty mess at the nape of her neck, held in place unrelentingly by a very stretched, very worn piece of twine. Her breaths were heavy and labored. She had been running from her captors for nearly an hour now, and fatigue was taking over the rush her adrenaline had given her earlier. Her red shirt was ripped and torn from her struggle to escape the man they called Dane, captain of the Bloody Maiden – a blood red pirate ship that sailed the east coast of the island of Edlan. It was not the first time she had been detained by Danes, nor was it the first time she had escaped. Evi sailed under Captain Blitz Von Krieg on the HMS Immortal. The ship was a large Galliot of sorts with a few modifications that either she or her father had imposed while he was still captain. The inner hull had been lined with a thin layer of steel, making the ship slower but a defensive stronghold on the open sea. It was only one of many surprises the Immortal offered. Blitz sailed her under the ultimate command of Danes, who allowed him to pirate under certain conditions. Generally these conditions consisted of handing over a certain percentage of the Immortal's plunder in exchange for being allowed exclusively to pirate the eastern side of the island.

Occasionally though, like the evening prior, he took things that didn't belong to him. He had been keeping his eye on Evi ever since he'd been aware that Blitz sailed with a woman aboard. Danes himself didn't like the idea. He was superstitious beyond what some people would refer to as natural, and he didn't like the idea of a woman in the crew, no matter how useful she was. Danes only found women good for one thing, and even then only once. His female guests rarely survived long enough for a second encounter with the scarred and pockmarked dog. Evi could have been beautiful if she bathed or dressed in any way decent, but she simply was exactly what everyone thought she was: a pirate. Danes however, seemed to think something of her and made suggestive comments to her about "joining his crew." He would smile a crooked smile, lips lined with dirty brown teeth and bloody gums. Evi was repulsed by him, but far from afraid. Her quick tongue had gotten her into more trouble than it had gotten her out of, and Danes was no exception. Unfortunately, her witty insults regarding his ability to pirate a ship and pirate a woman did not win favor, (however warranted) from the captain of the Bloody Maiden. Danes had Beanly - his ship Master – drag Evi on board his ship and lock her in his quarters. Beanly, Evi was sure, got the worse end of the deal, having suffered some key blows to the face and a kick to the knee she was sure would slow him down the next time it came to chasing her down. Evi couldn't help but notice that Danes had made sure that Blitz wasn't present when he hauled her out of Vera's Tavern, half drunk and shouting profanities and threats that would make even a modern-day sailor cover his ears. Danes was more intimidated by Blitz than he cared to let on, but having an intuition that most failed to acknowledge, Evi picked up on it, and wasn't shy to point it out to him just to see him burn in indignation.

She was only a few miles from the pirate city now. Crimson was a small, shifty town on the northern outskirts of the island of Edlan. Every one of the porting ships signed The Crimson Code of Conduct that essentially claimed the port to be a place of neutrality and business. Although, being the pirates that they were, there were always an unruly few members that insisted that a fistfight was the next best alternative to haggling someone down for a better price or barter. It got worse with the more alcohol they consumed, and if their captains didn't break it up soon enough, someone was likely to be shot. Evi was no stranger to drinking or trade, and did both very well, though many pirates resented her simply for being a woman. Blitz rarely sent her on trade errands anymore, though she was a smart haggler, because most simply refused to barter with her. Of course this only enraged her, and being unable to control her temper, she would start a fight that would generally end in Blitz yanking her back to the Immortal by her hair and leaving Binns, (the Immortal's Lieutenant) to take care of the business transactions.

A stray root caught her foot as she flew by, and sent her careening to the ground and into a nearby tree. Her shoulder popped loudly as she slammed to a painful halt. She groaned and gripped her arm but didn't cry out. She had been running for so long that she hadn't even bothered to look back to see if anyone was still following her, but she wouldn't put it past Beanly or one of his goonies to hunt her down. After all, if Beanly didn't return with her body in tow, Danes was likely to lash him forty times on his bare back and kill one of his crones. Not that Evi cared. She was fairly sure she had lost them though. Beanly was fast, but Evi was faster, and considering the blow she'd dealt to his knee a few hours prior, she was sure he wasn't going to be running after her today. But still, she wasn't going to be too careless. She sat very still and attempted to listen for voices or crunching leaves underfoot over her heavy breathing. Nothing. Not even the rustle of a badger or possum. It wasn't as if they wandered so close to the Crimson City, but it would have been a comfort and made the wood seem more alive and less like the place she was going to die. Of course, considering the way she looked at the moment – broken, bruised, and bloody – she wasn't sure she could blame them for making themselves scarce.

Evi took a few deep breaths to steady herself and stood up. The pain in her shoulder was hard to ignore but manageable. She would have to see Doyle, the Immortal's medic as soon as she could find her way back. She'd lost her bearing when she took the fall, and was kicking herself for being so clumsy. She looked every direction among the tall oaks for anything she might recognize, but all she could see was trunk after trunk of identical wooden stalks. The day had been fading gradually, but she just now noticed the dimming light around her. Losing a bit of hope, and unwilling to chance running in the wrong direction, she slumped back against the tree, sliding as far behind some sparse undergrowth as she could get. Unfortunately it only concealed about half of her, but it would have to do for the moment. She would have climbed a tree, but none of the limbs were low enough for her to reach and on top of that, she'd be hard pressed to pull herself up with one arm. Evi had always been nimble and agile when it came to climbing, and more likely than not, when the rigging was set and the hull chores were done, a crewman could look up and find her perched atop the fore topmast, watching the sea as it seemed to wave directly at her. It was the closest to flying she'd ever been, and the sound of everything but the wind in her ears was blocked away. Everything she was and everything she'd become didn't matter. It was just her and the wide-open blue. Whether it was from the thought of being so peaceful or simple exhaustion, Evi passed into slumber beneath the tall oak. The night was cold but bearable, and not even crickets could be heard chirping as she dreamt.


	2. Chapter 2

7 of 7

March 31, 2009

As Blitz readied the HMS Immortal for sail and ushered straggling crew aboard with frightening glares, he noticed one very vital member of his lot had gone missing. Evi. He let out a very agitated sigh. Evi was a troublemaker now, but he could remember the days when she was younger and more innocent. Had any other member of his crew gone missing he would have easily set sail without them, but not Evi. Ever since the mutiny against her father five years ago, he had protected her from the ravages of the crew and looked over her as a brother. He was her senior by five years, but she had been sailing longer. The way he had always heard Captain Kitts talk about it, she was born on the Immortal, and hadn't stepped a single toe on land until she was nearly five. There was no doubt that she was the best hand he had, but her attitude more than made up for the glamour of her talents. When he had met her, Evi was just 11, still laughing and running around the deck, looking for anything and everything she could help with. Honestly, Kitts kept more men on hand than he really needed, considering Evi's ability to handle the riggings. She was a natural born boatswain and he had given her that title on his ship long ago. She new every crease and every plank that made up the Immortal, and had come in more than handy in a tight spot. But, he did care for her more than just another crewman. She was more or less his sister, even if not biologically. He kept an eye out and attempted to keep her from getting herself killed. Of course she loudly rejected any kind of intervention on her behalf. A good majority of the crewmen were more than willing to get rid of her, but Blitz had his reasons for keeping her aboard.

"Binns!" he called, addressing his seasoned first-mate. "Where's Evi gotten off to?" Irritation rimmed the edges of his striking cerulean eyes. Binns tied off the gun he had been securing to the main deck before answering.

"I saw her last at Vera's Captain." A furrow came across Blitz's brow as he considered this.

"Holster up and grab Falkes." He ordered as he instinctively gripped the hilt of his steel Talwar. Many pirates preferred pistols, but Blitz was well known for his mastery of swordplay, and the reputation was well deserved. He'd not lost a match yet. As Binns returned with Falkes, both armed and ready to go, they exited to the dock and headed for the tavern. Vera's was a shady establishment on the western side of Crimson and many burly and dirty men drank there, often starting ruthless and sometimes deadly brawls over the most miniscule of disputes. Blitz had chosen Binns and Falkes for a reason. Binns had been in many fights with Blitz and his crew, and was nearly as dependable in a fight as the rising sun. Falkes, a newer and younger crewman, was a very formidable-looking fellow who would have made an excellent pirate were it not for the fact that his intelligence was less prominent than his enthusiasm for a good fight. But as long as he kept his mouth shut, which he was apt to do, no one could tell the difference. Both were loyal and had proven it many times over.

Flanked on either side by his carefully chosen crewmen, Blitz strode through the pirate city with a natural grace and abrupt posture. He was not as large as Falkes, and his youth may have made him seem naïve to strangers, but the way he carried himself demanded respect. He was dominant in every aspect of the word, and anyone who regarded the men as they traveled the city streets could easily see that Blitz was the one of the three that should be feared the most. Intimidation wasn't an effort for him; it was a natural aura that just seemed to pulse around him wherever he went. Of course he'd worked long and hard to build his reputation as such, but even as a child Blitz had held a very prominent stern demeanor. It wouldn't have been a stretch of the imagination to believe that he could have been a wealthy politician had he decided to live in more civilized society. In many ways he was already a political man.

He was dressed very formally when he pushed through the doors at Vera's Tavern. He wore a long blue jacket that gripped his waist snugly and it's hem hovered above the air just at mid-calf. His thick black leather boots were thigh high and holstered two old-fashioned custom made pistols on the outside of his left leg. Blitz was left-handed. Some of the more superstitious pirates believed it was a curse of sorts. Blitz, being the reasonable and logical person that he was, refused to give thought to such nonsense and ridiculously unfounded garbage. Or at least that's what his opinion was. Evi told him once when she was angry that his education got in the way of his pirating. Needless to say, her version was quite a bit more wordy and crude. Blitz simply responded that ignorant superstitions had nothing to do with pirating.

He shook his dark hair from his eyes as he scanned the dark smoky room. This time of day was slow for business but sure enough, he spotted Vera dragging two bruised and battered men marching fiercely in their direction. The three pirates instinctively stepped aside, allowing her unobscured passage to the open doorway. Blitz watched her carefully as she hauled the men alongside her by the scruffs of their necks and threw them roughly onto the cobbled street outside.

"Come back here again and you'll be missing more than your dignity when I have to throw you out again," she warned. Her tone wasn't incredibly riddled with anger as one might have thought by her intense expression, but anyone listening could tell that her threats held weight. It was a promise, and there was nothing empty about it. She dusted off her hands and wiped her hair, which seemed to have at one point been done up on her head, away from her forehead and out of her eyes. She was breathing heavily and her robust figure seemed to take up most of the doorway. Vera was a beautiful woman. She had graceful and voluptuous curves that were accented by her tightly laced corset. She had a small waist but her large frame made her a formidable figure. Some of her less enthusiastic customers referred to her as The Amazon. It might not have been far from the truth. She was very large, very beautiful, and very confident. The combination of the three had an outstanding effect of uncanny intimidation. Her own little spell of dominance rivaled even that of Blitz's.

She stopped to appraise the three men who had stopped to stare at her. Binns had been more than once to meet with Vera at the side of Blitz but Falkes, (who was one of the rare few who had no taste for rum), had no reason to visit the tavern and had therefore never laid eyes upon her. He gawked at her with his jaw slack. He had never seen a woman so beautifully put together. Vera held his gaze for a moment and he looked away. She had that effect on most men. Blitz smirked knowingly. He kept his eyes on hers once she turned her gaze upon him as if they would communicate without talking. They both carried the same striking cerulean undertones that made them hard to look at without feeling like you were being examined under a microscope. Her pale skin contrasted marvelously with her dark red dress and dark hair. She stood out in a crowd and obviously- judging by the state of the two battered pirates and the manner in which she had removed them from her tavern- in a fight. She took one deep breath and relaxed into her general kind visage. Vera was a lady, in every sense of the word. She dressed like a lady, acted like a lady, and didn't tolerate _anyone_ who didn't treat her as such. She demanded respect and those who failed to comply found themselves bloody and on their asses on the cobblestone outside. She was a bit of a contradiction but no one seemed inclined to want to tell her so. Satisfied with an apparent insight, she gave a slight chuckle and shook her head. She skirted past Blitz to the bar, where she was normally stationed. In height they were eye to eye and the paleness of their skin reflected one another as she passed by him. Only Falkes was taller but he made an effort to make himself smaller as she passed, seeming almost nervous to let even the hem of her dress brush him. It might have been entertaining to watch if anyone were paying attention anymore. At first the nearest tables occupied had been watching them carefully, mainly gauging Blitz's demeanor. In this area, Blitz was not a man anyone wanted to have trailing him. But once the slight grin hit one corner of his mouth, they deemed their own safeties and went back to their drinking and underhanded card games.

Vera was the only pirate, if you could call her that, who Blitz would allow his back to be turned to. It was something of a tribute of respect and trust. He turned to face her after a moment and took a seat on one of the classic bolted down barstools. Binns and Falkes simply stood behind him, facing away while looking around the bar and listening through the backs of their ears. Vera reached down and grabbed an empty glass, which she began wiping with a clean cloth she had previously draped over her shoulder. She looked natural and comfortable behind the bar. It was easy to see why her tavern had run out all the business of other potential entrepreneurs. If other women could be found at all around the pirate city they were either one of two things: prostitutes or plunder. Vera was neither. She was a businesswoman, not just some uneducated brutish female. She had a mind for money and seemed to be more educated than she let on. She played to her looks quite often with pirates and the element of surprise gave her to upper hand when she needed it. Her stiff right hook didn't hurt either. She dropped the sparkling glass in front of Blitz and filled it halfway with a lightly colored liquid that smelt more expensive than the cheap rum she normally served to her clientele. Blitz took a sip to be polite…and also to allow her to speak first. Vera spoke as if she knew exactly what he was waiting for. She knew that he could be irritatingly patient and didn't really feel the need to waste his time.

"You look like you've just got the raw end of a pirate's deal." She said, quoting her mother. Her mother used to always say obscure things like that to her and her brother. Her brother had never really taken them to heart but Vera was too much like her mother to really ignore them. She couldn't help but remember them, and they just kind of slipped out on occasion when she wasn't trying to be too formal. Blitz grunted before swallowing his mouthful of liquor.

"Kitts is missing again," he confirmed. Vera showed no look of surprise. On the contrary, she seemed to have anticipated this was the reason for his visit. She also knew that he was in no mood to waste time, though he would be politely patient as ever for any information she could give him. She was wiping down another large mug.

"That's not anything new." Blitz couldn't disagree. Her scrutinizing eye caught his and this time he was the first to look away. She had a habit of knowing things she shouldn't.

"She was here." It was a statement, not a question.

"Earlier yesterday. She had a pint," Vera said. Blitz gave her a condescending stare. As if he were getting onto her in an odd sort of way. "She's old enough," was all that Vera commented in response. There was another pause as she stored the clean glasses on the shelves behind her. There were old but sturdy. She turned her back to him unnecessarily in order to do so. The same could be said about Vera; that she didn't expose her back to many people. She and Blitz had an understanding that Falkes couldn't grasp, but Binns seemed neither perturbed nor surprised by their exchanges. He was older and more experienced, and was the sole proprietor of the insight he possessed.

"She left." He said. It was another statement devoid of tone as the last had been, but it must have meant something to Vera that the others didn't catch because her shoulders slumped ever so slightly. She played it off as if she were rotating her shoulder joints out. She shrugged the rag back over her shoulder with purpose as she leaned over the bar's counter to speak to him in quieter tones. A lesser man might have been tempted to glance down her dress to admire her well-endowed chest as it pressed against the wooden panel but Blitz was no lesser man.

"It was about noon yesterday and she sat there," she said, nodding to the furthest end of the bar nearest the stage where no one was performing currently. The curtains were drawn. Blitz's thick eyebrows twitched ever so slightly, but Vera cut him off before he could even finish constructing the sentence in his head. "She didn't cause any trouble. She didn't start any fights." The tone of her voice sounded almost annoyed with having to address that particular issue. Evi, as far as Vera was concerned, was a perfectly welcome guest at her bar. Vera was no simpleton and she knew very well that Evi caused problems around the city, but as long as she had known her, Evi had never started a fight or caused trouble in her bar. That wasn't to say that she'd never been in one, but she hadn't started any. "She was tired," she added, contemplative and sending Blitz a silent signal. Blitz furrowed his brow and took another drink, though he was hardly paying attention to what was in it. Anyone could easily see his brain working it out. Vera's intelligent features matched his and for a moment they looked like a mirror image of one another; her face round and soft, his square and hard. Despite the differences, they wore the same expression.

"Was it Immortal crew?"

"No."

"The Maiden?"

"It's possible." Blitz knew she couldn't answer a question directly without finding herself choosing a side between crews. It would be bad for business and possibly for her personally if she were to step in. Currently, her tavern was the most neutral accommodation in the city. Pirates there understood to behave themselves or face her wrath. Starting a brawl in her house was more or less like poking a hungry sleeping bear with a short pointy stick. It wasn't adviseable and generally someone ended up hurt. Her skirting answer may have seemed vague but the look on her face told him what he needed to know. Blitz turned his head to the side, now addressing Binns behind him.

"Send word to Danes by Wickham." Liam Wickham was a messenger for hire that scoured the city. He was a young and dirty little Irish runt, but ran faster than anyone Blitz had come across next to Evi. The boy couldn't have been more than 12 years of age. He was surprisingly quick with his scrawny legs, and had never failed to deliver the message he was given. It was somewhat understood that he was to be left unharmed when running his errands and most pirates, even the nastier ones, let him be. He was bound to no one. It was in no one's best interest to see him dead or incapacitated. Blitz knew Danes wouldn't kill the boy. If he sent any of his own crew, Danes was likely to beat them bloody if not kill them just on principal. He was a savage man, and the seas had made him cold and blood-thirsty.

Binns waited dutifully for the message, though he knew already what it would be. "Send a note of diplomacy." Blitz cast a glance at Vera from the corner of his eye, checking her reaction. Nothing could be told from her face. It was her silence that compelled him to continue. She didn't say that it _was_ Danes' crew who were responsible for Evi's sudden disappearance, but she didn't say it _wasn't_. It was her way of setting him on the right path without being held responsible or liable for any of it. Her silence spoke volumes. She had to be wary of who overhead their conversation, but she did make sure it was heard, so that none could speak against her under false assumptions. "Inform him that I have misplaced our Bowstain. It would be inadvisable to sail without such a vital ranking crewman. Inform him that the Immortal will temporarily be in port until she is found. If our crewman is not recovered by noon tomorrow, we will petition the Crimson Council for a raid of allegiance. Due to our deference we will be leaving the eastern side of the island Edlan unclaimed for several days. As such, it would be unwise for him to leave such a trafficked area uncharted for any amount of time if a struggle over territory is to be avoided with incoming parties. With respect, I have informed him beforehand so that I am not in breech of contract," he articulated diplomatically, putting strict emphasis on the last few lines. In the contract Danes and Blitz had signed over bounty share and pirating rights, there had been a specific clause about neutrality between crewmen. It more or less served to keep both Captains from bringing downfall to the other by harming the other's crew. If Danes had Evi, which Blitz was sure was the case; he would be in breech of contract. The Crimson Council kept a very close eye on the Crimson City, and though petty fights were ignored, something as large as this matter would not be overlooked. There would be serious penalties for Danes should he violate their contract. Blitz had written in this clause for Evi's protection specifically. He knew Danes was no man of his word and that he would come for her if given the opportunity. He continued after a pause to reinforce the importance of that last sentence. He turned back to Vera. "Regards. Captain Blitz Von Krieg."

His deep voice was calm and political. Every syllable was pronounced with delicate distinction. Binns nodded and left the tavern. Blitz stood and nodded at Falkes who followed Binns directly. Blitz stood for a moment, one hand on the hilt of his gleaming Talwar, and the other on the counter. Vera looked at him with a wary glance.

"She'll resent you," was the only thing she said. She folded her strong feminine arms across her chest and shifted her weight. It was a stance Evi would have taken when she was indignant about something.

"She always does." Blitz made a concerned face and placed several galleons on the counter. It was nearly three times what the bottle of the liquor he had merely sipped was worth. Vera didn't reach for it, and neither did her eyes leave his face. They held a silent gaze for a moment, saying things with flashes of their eyes and body language that were difficult to discern.

"I would behoove you to be cautious in your diplomacy. You tread too heavily on glass floors. Sometimes the ends aren't worth the means Blitz," she added, turning from him and pouring a mug of rum for the man who had just taken a seat down the bar. She slid it to him with graceful ease without sloshing any head over the rim. Blitz looked away tensely as she shot the balding dirty man a smile that could have sent ships to war. There was no doubt she was beautifully entrancing. She used it to her advantage. He didn't look back at her as he responded.

"Sometimes we don't choose our ends. Our means are the only will we have." Vera looked up at him in a warm way. It was different from the put-on kindness she used with her regular patrons. It was deeper and more telling. Her eyebrows flexed inward ever so slightly, giving the effect that she was mildly distraught on some underlying level.

"I will be vigilant."

"With gratitude. The pleasure has been mine Madame." Blitz gave her a slight bow in a very formal fashion and turned to exit the pub. Vera watched him go, wiping down the countertop until he was out of sight. The tension left the room with him. She took a deep breath once again when she was able and put on her perfect smile once more. He had his business and she had hers. His should not trouble her so.

Binns had found Wickham and sent him with a written message, carefully scripted and signed. Blitz had taught Binns to write himself, and used him often as a stenographer of sorts for various reasons. Binns, due to not being able to read and write for most of his life, had a large capacity for remembering things. His mind was a steel trap, and it seemed that nothing escaped it. Blitz was not bothered with the fact that he might have obscured the message. He knew it would be just as he'd directed. There would be no mistakes there. Binns was intelligent, despite his lack of schooling, and it was the reason Blitz kept him close as his first mate. Falkes and Binns were both striding back to him from down the cobbled path.

"Wickham will deliver it by the evening." Binns assured, his short gray-streaked beard bobbing with his speech. Falkes stood silently. Blitz nodded. His face was set into a stern rigid set of lines. His concern for his crewman was evident. Falkes took a step forward. Blitz looked up at him and waited for the question he knew was coming. Falkes liked Evi very much. In fact, he was one of the few crewmen that Evi cared to be around at all. He wouldn't call them friends, but they understood one another. Blitz could never understand how. They were such unlikely people. He supposed there were still things he had to learn about Evi. At times, it was uncanny how predictable she was to him, but at others, he wondered if it was the same person standing in front of him. Falkes interrupted his train of thought.

"Captain, is she aboard the Maiden?" No doubt Binns had already come to that conclusion before they had left the Immortal. Falkes was slow, but you could see it in his unusually uptight posture that the answer was important to him.

"We can't be sure." Blitz said decisively. After all, she _did_ have an uncanny ability to wriggle her way free of that damned ship. Even _he_ was confounded as to how she'd done it. She would never tell him. This wasn't the first time she had been taken aboard the Bloody Maiden against her will. Of course, Evi would never admit to having been captured and held there. She had too much pride for that. But Blitz was no idiot. He knew. But her absence this time held some explicit intensity for him that he couldn't quite explain. Anxiety perhaps. He looked back up at Falkes' face. He looked angry about something, but it was only the effect of him trying to think too hard. No doubt he was trying to decide what could be done about Evi. Blitz had been as forward as he could be with Danes without starting a war between the two crews. The only important part of that letter was the line about breeching contract. The rest was just fancy diplomacy to hide the message. He hoped it would be enough to hustle him into setting her free. If of course, she hadn't already escaped herself.

Blitz never would have claimed that Evi was one who could take care of herself, but he knew that when push came to shove, she was relentlessly determined and persistent. If nothing else, she would never give up fighting. That, in itself, was part of the reason he kept her around. She might be fighting for all the wrong reasons, but at least she fought. If only she could control that temper…

He looked over at a very drunken brothel girl whispering into the ear of an equally drunken pirate against the wall on the street. The sun was setting, but brothel girls had little to fear from the darkness. Everything men wanted, if you could call them men, these girls would give them. For a price of course. He could see her practiced hands work their way down the man's chest and into his pants. Blitz looked away disgusted. He thought of Evi. Evi had a raging libido, but most of the time Blitz was under the impression that she was being promiscuous just to piss him off. There was no way to tell. Either way, her actions did just that. Infuriated, he would track her down and punish the glutton who thought it wise to take her up on her offer. Lately, there were few men who dared to take the chance. Evi had become frustrated with her exhaustive search for a man unafraid of her overprotective Captain. But she had found one. Danes.

Unfortunately, Danes wasn't what she had in mind, and nor did she want him. She wouldn't be in control of the situation as she normally was. It would terrify her once her pride had been pushed aside enough to allow for any healthy amount of fear. Blitz knew that it would only take a few simple things to break her of that. The mere thought enraged him, and his eyes flashed dangerously. His fists clenched in on themselves impulsively, as if the hideous man's neck were between them. Blitz was a civilized man, but the thought of what Danes would try to do was more than enough to bring out the savage in him.


	3. Chapter 3

6 of 6

April 2, 2009

Evi woke to the smell of oak bark and dirt around her. Her eyes didn't register the world around her for a moment, and she realized that one was reluctant to open at all. She reached up to touch her face. It was hot and sore beneath her fingers, and she winced just as much as her swollen cheek would allow her. She examined her surroundings carefully as the memory of the day before filled her with anger and determination once more. She sat up straight, realizing how stiff sleeping against the hard bark and forest floor had made her. Her body ached but obeyed. Her shoulder was set on fire with every motion, but she simply grit her teeth and fought through the hurt. Unfortunately, she was no stranger to pain.

The light shone through the canopy of leaves above her and she could see little particles of dust floating in the air. It gave the woods a magical effect. There were no sounds of a search party, from either Blitz or Danes, and for that Evi was grateful. Once she had snuck back aboard the Immortal there would be no reason for Blitz to call Danes in violation of contract. Evi wasn't going to admit she'd been captured, and she wasn't going to start a whole pirate war over something so stupidly small as a testosterone match between the two captains. Men were idiots. Thank God she had more common sense than the assholes that surrounded her.

With a final sigh of preparation she pushed her thighs against the ground to stand up. One of her ankles was in poor shape. There was a large scrape in the crease of her ankle and the blood had dried caked over the arch of her foot. It stung, but it wasn't broken or sprained. Stupid tree root_._ She picked a path through the woods, hoping desperately that it would take her to the Crimson City rather than back into the hull of the Bloody Maiden. Evi wondered to herself how many times she would have to escape before they figured out how she'd done it. No matter. They probably wouldn't suspect. At least she hoped so_._ Sore and determined, she made her way through the thinning trees.

It wasn't long before she heard the clanks of steel on steel. The blacksmith's shop was in full swing. She knew the man that ran it, and though he was cordial, Evi had no interest in pressing her luck with him alone. She snuck around the back of the shanty building and made her way carefully through alleys and back streets to the dock. The smell of the sea guided her, and the closer she got, the harder her heart pounded. The ocean was her home, and the Immortal would carry her to it. Home. Evi came out of a dark alleyway and within sight of the Immortal. It was docked closest to the city. Thank God.

"Going somewhere?" The voice was angrily familiar, and Evi whipped around to get a visual, ignoring the pain in her ankle as it groaned in protest. The tenor of his voice was calm, as if he were in control of the situation. Evi couldn't help but automatically go on the defensive as she squared herself to him, and backed a few steps away to put her out of his arms' reach. She glared at the unwanted visitor angrily, hiding any pain that she could. Pain was weakness, and she knew he would take advantage of it.

"Shouldn't you be at a brothel or something?" she hissed facetiously. Jim was one of the more vicious crewmen sailing the Immortal. She imagined he might have been a handsome man before he took on the sea-faring life. That, and there was the matter of the three inch scar she'd given him over his right eye. He was fortunate he hadn't lost his sight, and even more fortunate that Blitz had stepped in when he did. Jim was the leader of a small faction of pirates aboard the Immortal, six or so men that wanted Evi dead. They picked fights and started trouble with her whenever possible and had, on more that one occasion, tried to permanently rid the Immortal of it's feminine plight. Evi wasn't sure why the others had wanted to rid the ship of her so badly, other than pure superstition, but Jim had a _very _personal vendetta. Evi was wary of his movements, and ready to bolt if it came down to it. On any given day she could easily outrun Jim – as she'd done several times – but as injured and exhausted as she was, her body was less likely to be so spry. She was sure he'd already picked up on that.

"You know, the Captain has been looking all over for you." He spat, mocking her plight in the very tone of his voice. Jim stood a good four inches taller than Evi, and outweighed her by at least 40 pounds. His fingers clenched in on his palms, and his jaw twitched in anticipation. Jim was a dangerous man and willing to do the dirty work of killing her himself. He was more than willing; he was determined. Evi froze, knowing that any movement she made would set him off. She had two options: she could try fighting him, or she could try running. Either way, the odds of survival weren't looking great. "He has half the crew out looking for you, you little bitch." He smirked as if he were on the verge of devouring a very juicy cut of meat. Evi somehow believed that analogy wasn't far from the truth. So she stalled.

"Bitch? I've heard worse. At least I'm not some scratched up ape. You don't have the sense to keep your hands out of boiling water." She said, taking stabs at him, hoping one would land its mark among sensitive spots.

"You should be more careful who you insult you little tramp!" he raged. His voice carried out of the alley they were shadowed in. Bingo. Pirates were easier to manipulate than rats in a maze. Evi was careful not to raise her voice with him. It would send him coming her way, and she still wasn't sure she could outrun him. She knew by the flush on his cheeks that fighting was out of the question. He would kill her.

"You don't scare me you worthless sack of shit," she hissed, crouching as her lips curled back over her bared teeth as if she would growl. She eased backwards very slowly, attempting to put more distance between them. Jim followed her, step for step, advancing on her like a predator and closing the distance between them. Her time for deliberating was growing dangerously short.

"You're as bad at lying as you are at getting yourself out of trouble Kitts. It's a shame they'll never find your body. It might break the captain's heart." The last line he delivered with mock pity. He paused momentarily to pride himself on his insult. Dumb fuck. Evi seized her opportunity. As soon as his step faltered, she turned and pushed off with her good ankle towards the end of the dark alley. She didn't bother looking back to see if he was following her because she could feel his hot breath in the air behind her as she flew between the brick walls. The light of the dock was nearly as tangible as a curtain as she burst into it from the dark alley. Her ankle and shoulder screamed, but the adrenaline and fear that pumped through her veins compelled her aching body on. The warmth of the sun was refreshing, but she didn't have time to think about it as she hurdled herself over a barrel in her path. Jim had been gaining on her consistently with every step. Chest heaving and arms pumping, she pushed roughly through a pair of pirates carrying a heavy crate with her good arm and kept running. One of them stumbled off balance and dropped his end of the wooden box. Jim was almost within arms' reach and had been stretching his expectant arm out to grab her hair before he realized there was a body beneath him. Evi could feel his fingers scrape down her back as he fell, face first, into the wooden planks of the dock beneath him. His wail of pain was enough to make Evi smile, but she immediately regretted it when her bruised and swollen cheek resisted the motion. It hurt. And now, as she closed the distance between to the galliot, her ankle and shoulder reminded her of how much pain she was in. The adrenaline had kept it away for moments, but now that the rush was fading, her sore body ached in pain once more. She slowed out of necessity as she reached the temporary wooden slope up to the main deck limping. Her labored breathing burned her chest and her ribs seemed to pinch into her muscles with each gasp for air. She crumpled to the dock, unable to force her legs to carry her up the ramp.

"Evi!" She could hardly pick out her name above the other shouting going on as pirates loaded up their ships nearby. Everything was drowned out by her wheezing, and her ears rang from expending so much energy that she didn't even have to begin with. She rolled her head to look up to the deck. Binns. He was trotting down the ramp to her, his round form a welcome sight. Jim wouldn't go after her with Binns around. Relief filled her chest as she continued catching her breath. Her face must have looked worse than it felt because Binns' reaction looked something akin to startled. His boots trod hard on the wood and it rattled under him as he approached her. He looked at her face carefully and then moved on to examine the rest of her body.

"Can you walk?" he asked, keeping a wary eye on her ankle as if it were going to fall off. After a few long deep breaths, she could talk again.

"I'm fine." She pushed herself up and wobbled a little. Binns stood ready to catch her, but she pushed him away. She couldn't push very hard, but he knew better than to try to help her when she didn't want it. That was generally left up to Blitz. She straightened herself stiffly and gathered her posture once more. She couldn't show weakness in front of the crew. She limped to the ramp, and leaned on the rope railing for support as she slowly made her way up. Binns stood directly behind her most of the way up, only leaving her once she'd made it safely to the top. It was no surprise that Blitz stood there waiting for her, his arms crossed sternly over his broad chest.

She took a deep breath. _Here we go,_ she thought. He addressed her this time, as Kitts rather than Evi. It varied, depending on how angry she had made him. Evi was reserved for rare occasions when he wasn't shouting at her or reprimanding her for something. Otherwise, he didn't usually address her at all.

"Kitts." He was tight-lipped and rigid, assessing the damage with a quick glance over her. She stood straight and unfazed under his gaze. Most of all pirates, she refused to look weak in front of Blitz. She didn't want him to have his eye on her because she was weak. She could take care of herself, and she'd told him that on more than one occasion. Well, normally she was screaming rather profanely at him when she was delivering that particular message, but it had gotten through well enough.

"Blitz." Evi never addressed him as Captain. She had been aboard the Immortal longer than he had, and her father had been captain previously. She didn't consider Blitz the true captain of the vessel. This ship was her father's, despite his death years prior. Her father was the rightful captain of the Immortal.

"Where have you been?" His question implied more than simply her whereabouts.

"Around." Defiance.

"I won't ask you again."

"I was in the Crimson City." Well, it wasn't exactly lying. She'd been there at one point or another. Blitz narrowed his eyes at her.

"Explain yourself." He ordered, twitching one eyebrow towards his hairline with a quick glance over her body. When she had left the Immortal the day before, her shirt had been waist length and she hadn't been bloody, battered, bruised, and swollen. Neither had her legs and pants been covered in forest foliage. She smirked ever so slightly even though it hurt to do so. It was all for show, just enough cockiness so Blitz could catch it.

"I was running and I tripped and fell." Not totally a lie.

"Running were you?"

"Yes."

"Why were you running?"

"I needed the exercise." Blitz was no idiot. He knew better than to believe her petty bullshit, but Evi also knew that he wasn't going to badger her for information. Mostly because he knew that if she didn't want to tell him, she wasn't going to. He uncrossed his arms and reached out to grab her chin between two fingers. He forced her to look him in the eyes. She would have fought his grip if it weren't for the sharp pain it caused her. She flinched at his touch.

"Don't let it happen again." He said sternly, his cerulean stare boring through her as if he could see straight through her face and into the back of her skull. He was telling her to be more careful, but she didn't need his stupid advice. She could take care of herself. And she had. She was back on board now wasn't she? She was a little worse for the wear, but not true harm done. He let go of her chin and gripped her arm roughly as he dragged her towards the stairs to the lower deck. Unfortunately, it was her bad shoulder, and she cried out in pain before she could stifle the noise. It was pathetic sounding, and she resented him for causing her to make such an obnoxious whine. She had to walk on the tips of her toes just so that it didn't cripple her. Once they were in the enclosure of the lower deck he released her, pushing her forward through the doorway of the infirmary.

Evi grabbed her arm tenderly and rubbed it while holding it close to her body. Her face contorted in pain for a moment, but only for a very slight fraction of a second before Doyle, the Immortal's medic, looked up at her. With her back to Blitz she growled in indignation.

"Shit, you could have just _asked_ me to come." She grumbled snappishly.

"Yes, but you wouldn't have, so why go through the motions?" Blitz drawled. He leaned against the frame of the door after shutting it behind him casually. They had been through this before. He wasn't budging until Doyle had made a decent examination and given him the diagnosis. Blitz wasn't stupid, and knew that if he left, Doyle wouldn't be able to keep her there on his own. He stood as a barrier in front of the only exit. Evi glared at him from underneath her eyelashes.

"Stubborn ass."

"What was that?" Evi didn't answer, pretending to have said nothing. She may have been able to get away with that when they weren't in front of a crewman, but it would be undermining his authority otherwise. So mostly, she was just a smart ass. Doyle walked over to her carefully, as if getting too close to her was dangerous. Maybe it would have been if Blitz hadn't been there, but since he had decided to make himself a nuisance, Doyle wouldn't have anything to fear from Evi.

He approached her with confident eyes and steady hands. Doyle wasn't the most gentle doctor, but he did his job well. He had thick fingers that seemed too large for their designated tasks and arms that were long and thin. He was clean-shaven and had very light blonde hair that had been bleached by the sun. It grew out thick and full just as on every other part of his body. Hairy and broad-shouldered; he reminded Evi of a thin ape. He was barrel-chested and looked as if he were in his late thirties, and had only a marginal knowledge of first aid. Blitz probably knew more about it than Doyle, but none of the pirates had died while in his care yet. He examined her face, poking and applying pressure here and there. Evi did her best not to jerk away, but couldn't exactly hide the expression on her face that told him it hurt. She growled angrily. The sound was animalistic, but it had its intended effect. He removed his hands from her face and looked at Blitz.

"Be quiet and let him examine you." He said forcefully. Evi shot him a look out of the corner of her eye that could have killed. Blitz simply held her glare until she looked away at the far wall.

"I've had enough of people _examining_ me." She said it through clenched teeth and Blitz furrowed his brow in what might have been a worried look. Doyle however, seemed undeterred and continued his exploration of bruises and scrapes down from her chin to her shoulder. This time, she couldn't resist the urge to jerk away from his touch. The reflex was too instinctive and she didn't have time to catch herself before she hissed and grabbed her arm away.

"Fuck!"

"I think her shoulder's dislocated." Doyle said, voice thick with the kind of collective European accent one would get from backpacking and not really living in one place. The comment was directed more at Blitz than to Evi, though he kept his eyes on her as if she were a coiled snake. Blitz was silent for a moment.

"Of course it is, you fucking jackass!" Evi hollered in frustration, knowing exactly what was wrong with it. "It's not like I could put it back in on my own." She rubbed her arm gingerly.

Blitz walked over and held her good arm tight and out of the way while Doyle took his cue and placed one hand on her upper arm and one below her elbow on the other. Evi knew what they were doing, and though she also knew it needed to be done, she didn't want them anywhere near her. She turned away from Doyle, trying to twist her good arm free of Blitz's iron grip.

"Sit still." Blitz growled in her ear. His face was very near to hers. Doyle straightened out Evi's left arm with precision, and yanked hard, thrusting it back in place. Evi muffled her howl of shock as the intense pain and simultaneous relief rushed through her. She groaned and doubled over on herself, cradling her arm. Blitz caught her and moved her to the cot against the wall.

"If you weren't so careless this wouldn't be necessary." He chided as he allowed her to sit on her own.

"Fuck you." The comment was growled under her breath and through gritted teeth. She glared at him from underneath her nappy hair as it fell in her face. Blitz grinned ever so slightly. He looked over his shoulder at Doyle. He was popping the cork out of a large handle of rum. Pirates didn't generally have access to chloroform or any kind of anesthesia, so getting your patient drunk was the next best thing. It would kill the pain for the most part and allow them to sleep so they could heal. He poured a large mug's worth of the potent and undiluted liquid and handed it to her. Evi crinkled her nose in response. Blitz looked down at her. Evi rolled her eyes at him and took the mug, downing the entire thing in one long chug. She handed it back to a very surprised Doyle, coughing as she attempted to keep the noxious drink in her stomach. It was stronger than she'd expected, but she could hold her own when it came to alcohol. She definitely wasn't as much of a lightweight as she appeared to be, and she had a bad habit of sharking other pirates in drinking contests at Vera's. It had caused more fights than she cared to claim credit for.

Blitz turned to Doyle. "Go assist Binns with the loading. Jim and his party should be returning shortly with rations." Doyle simply nodded and left without question. Blitz turned back to Evi and reached one hand up to move the hair out of her face so he could get a better look at her. Evi hadn't thought the rum had hit her as hard as it had, but the brush of his fingers on her skin felt fuzzy and somewhat warm and distant. He vision seemed to be fine, but she hadn't looked away from his face yet. Looking around might make her dizzy if she tried, so she didn't. His hands were much gentler than Doyle's had been, and she barely felt them as he worked along her forehead, outlining the bruise that had settled in right above her eye. "He's going to kill you eventually. You won't always be so lucky." There was something in his voice she hadn't really heard there before, but then again, she was quite a bit more buzzed than she had originally thought.

"I can take care of myself." Her automatic response rang through undeterred by her slightly slurred speech.

"Obviously." Sarcasm. He grabbed a bowl of fresh warm water and a rag that looked fairly clean. He wrung it out and started dabbing her temple. Evi closed her eyes when her double vision started to make her head hurt. Alcohol never did that to her.

"Wh- what wasss that?" she got out, after a moment of stern concentration. Her posture slumped gradually.

"Don't worry about it, just relax."

"Blitz…" she found it difficult to concentrate enough to finish her sentence. He shushed her anyway, and continued dabbing at her face and working his way down to her neck and collar bone. He was especially ginger when attending her shoulder. The room was spinning now, and she suddenly regretted chugging the rum so fast just to prove that she could. Her shoulders fell forward, and she fell onto Blitz, who was ready to catch her. Her head fell into the crook of his arm as he laid her onto the cot steadily. "Dizzy…" she murmured, her lips barely obeying her orders. Her brain was fuzzy and confused.

"Lay down and rest Evi." There was something so warm and reassuring about his voice as he knelt over her, that she barely felt compelled to argue. She felt something warm and soft on her forehead as she sank into the darkness that had taken her in the forest once more. Unconsciousness was bittersweet but welcomed as she surrendered once more. It seemed fitting that a day begun in darkness should end in darkness too.


	4. Chapter 4

6 of 6

July 21, 2009

It seemed like no longer than a few seconds when Evi woke to the familiar swaying of the Immortal on the open sea. What was normally a familiar and welcome rock, was enough now to make her sick. And it did. Lurching upward off the cot, she rolled over one side and let loose what little was left in her stomach onto the cabin floor. The nausea was intense and unfortunately didn't alleviate once she'd dispersed what she'd eaten. Her brain pounded angrily against the inside of her skull. She moaned as she sat upright and away from the smell of her own vomit. It would take a while to regain her sea legs after this hangover.

"Kitts! Thought you'd deserted on us." Laughed a deep pounding voice from somewhere in the general direction of the door. Evi should have guessed that Falkes would come down to see her and make her miserable. Evi and Falkes were good friends, if you could call them that, and his resounding bass was absolutely beating her brain against the inside of her head. She hissed painfully.

"Ugh…not so loud." She waved her hand at him to quiet him, but he yanked her standing by her outstretched arm and hugged her jovially with a hard slap on the back. She had always been able to think of him as an overenthusiastic labrador. He knocked the wind out of her lungs with an audible wheeze, and went on ranting about her not being there to see his newest furnace for the blacksmith's quarters he had acquired. Rommel Falkes was a simple-minded man by many standards, but when it came to carpentry, the man was an absolute genius. It was interesting to watch him switch back and forth between complete understanding and obliviousness when someone changed the subject on him.

"Alright. I think she's had enough visitors for today." Said Blitz as he walked into the small cabin, seemingly stern when juxtaposed against Falkes. It was comical in a way. Falkes simply looked confused.

"But I've been the only one."

"Fortunately." Evi wheezed out, holding her hands to either side of her head in a futile attempt to make the pounding stop. Blitz smirked as he slapped Falkes across the back of his large mountain of a shoulder.

"Let's let our littlest crewman get some rest before we throw her to sharks tomorrow hm?" he joked. Falkes laughed at the 'littlest crewman' bit and stalked off rumbling with deep cavernous laughter. Evi would have made a characteristic smart-ass comment, but the booming vibrato of Falkes was enough to make her eyes cross and her jaw lock in place. She groaned -but that hurt too- and so she stopped and simply stood as still as she could, having trouble keeping her balance in the rocking cabin. Blitz took her by the elbow, gripping a little bit harder than was truly necessary, and led her to the door of the makeshift infirmary.

"Where are we going?" Evi snapped, her ears throbbing painfully as she fought his grip. It just made him squeeze tighter. It was beginning to hurt. Evi jerked harder, her body not really capable of putting up much of a fight at the moment. Blitz tugged her harshly into his captain's quarters and shoved her down into a wooden chair that was bolted to the plank flooring. Evi started to try to stand again, but her swimming head and Blitz's sudden forceful downward push on her shoulder kept her firmly planted in the uncomfortable seat. "Stop you ass!" she hissed over the ringing in her ears. The door slammed behind her with a loud slap. Blitz paced around her chair and sat across from her in a slightly more decorated chair on the other side of the desk. She had only just noticed it's ornately carved bevels and iron lion paw legs. It screamed antique, no matter how pristine Blitz kept it. He leaned forward, glaring at her with his cerulean striking eyes. She hated when he did that. Even on her best days she had trouble staring him down, and today was a no contest. She looked away from them immediately but played it off as an annoyed eye roll, and pretended to be very interested in the porthole view across the cabin.

"You have to start telling me the truth Evilyn." Blitz broke the silence with an exasperated sigh.

"Don't call me that." Was her automated response. Only her father ever called her that, and even with him gone, it would stay that way.

"I can't help you if you don't trust me." The leather of his chair stretched as he leaned back into it, taking a more comfortable stance. He was settling in for this to be a long conversation. Great.

"Why should I trust you?" she said, playing a touche to his posture. She propped both legs up on one arm of the chair, and let her back arch over the other in a disinterested gesture that made her temples pound in protest. Her stomach lurched a little, but she held her composure. She had nothing left to vomit, so at this point it would just be pointless and painful to heave. "And I don't need your help." She added stubbornly, staring at the ceiling with her mouth hanging open.

"Don't be such a child. It's time you took some responsibility for yourself."

"You're not my fucking father, so stop acting like it."

"There are people on this ship that would have you marooned." He said plainly, intentionally delivering it as a threat. "Or worse." This was nothing new. Evi was well aware of the pirates who didn't want her around. She dealt with them more often than she would ever tell Blitz. He would kill people over the things she'd had to put up with in his absences.

"Tell them to cock the hammer and pull the trigger then." She droned, completely unfazed. "I'm not afraid."

"It's high time you adopted a healthy amount of fear. Caution." He seethed, his icy eyes narrowing as he stood from his chair slowly. For the first time in a long time, Evi tensed her shoulders in reaction to him. It wasn't often that he disrupted her in such a way, but something about him was different now. She sat up, swinging her legs back to the front of the chair in what would have been a casual gesture.

"Yes well as _thrilling_ as all that sounds, I think I'll just head back to the infirmary until whatever the fuck it was that you gave me gets the fuck out of my system." She spat, standing and putting some distance between them as Blitz slowly rounded the desk to leave nothing but air between them. This was getting dangerous and she could feel his tension in the air, but she had never had reason to fear anything from Blitz before. Now, that healthy amount of fear was creeping into her throat like a snake. The only thing she knew how to do was to act like she wasn't afraid. It was all she had ever done. Blitz thought she was never scared? Oh she was scared all the time. But Evi had just mastered the art of concealing it. There was too much she hid from him to ever be truly honest with him about anything. She turned her back on him with much deliberance and headed slowly towards the door so it didn't seem like she was running.

"Kitts. You _will_ respect your commanding officer. Turn around." The words were blatantly and order. She paused just a foot from the door. She couldn't really run from him. Not on the open sea. Yes, she could get high in the riggings, but he was a sure shot, and even if he didn't shoot her, outrunning the entire crew would be impossible. Her hand twitched, wanting to reach for the door, but she didn't turn around.

"This is my ship. Not yours." She mumbled, knowing he would hear, but fearing to say it too loudly. She glanced over her shoulder. He leaned against the desk, his arms folded across his chest. It might have seemed casual, but Evi knew better. The glare in his eyes told her differently.

"_I_ am the captain. This is _my_ ship, and _you_ will obey your captain." His tone implied the 'or else' that didn't pass his perfect lips. Evi reached for the door, but her arm was wrenched behind her before she could turn the knob. Blitz pressed her body between his and the door, holding her arm firmly locked behind her back and pressing his face close to her ear.

"You _will _learn…" Evi fought in reaction. She'd been in this position too many times to not know how to defend herself. Blitz had never laid a hand on her, and her mind was racing as she pushed away from the doorframe with her legs, creating enough space to twist and throw a free elbow into his gut. He grunted, but was mostly unfazed by her feeble counter. He postured his frame, and with his grip still firm on her wrist, swung a hard backhand, striking her across the cheek with enough force to knock her off to one side. Evi's head jerked as the blow completely blindsided and disoriented her. He threw her to the floor and mounted her before she could regain her senses completely. He wrapped his fingers around her throat and squeezed lightly. It wasn't enough to choke her by a long shot, but the uncomfortable pressure on her windpipe and his weight on her torso was enough to render her immobile and very painfully aware of where she stood in the line of command. She panted, trying to catch her breath as she looked up at him wide-eyed. Her surprise turned quickly to defiance though as she caught the look of anger and loathing in his eyes. What had changed in him she would never know, but she was beyond caring. Men were prone to violence. People couldn't be trusted. She was stupid for having thought differently of him.

"Kill me if you fucking want to, but I'm _not_ giving into you or anybody else." She growled, her lips curling back over her teeth in an animalistic sneer. Her body was heating up, her head was throbbing, and she wasn't sure if her arm was functioning properly. She couldn't feel or move it, pinned to the wooden floor underneath his leg.

"Kill you?" he sneered, more a statement than an actual question. He seemed robotic; like he was being operated by some remote controller. His striking glare scanned her face, analyzing her expression. "You have a lot to learn about punishment Kitts." His lips curled back to mimic her face, and he raised his free hand as if he were going to backhand her again. Her instincts told her to fight it and move out of the way, but her stubborn human nature made her stare angrily back into his gaze without blinking, letting him know she wasn't afraid of him. Truthfully, any other crewman wouldn't have scared her. She was far too accustomed to beatings from them. But Blitz was an entirely different story. He terrified her with his harsh eyes and harsher blows.

"Punishment?" she laughed a hollow sounding single syllable. "As if there could be anything else you could possibly teach me." Blitz flinched visibly, clearly affronted by what she'd said. His grip around her throat tightened and his jaw set angrily. Evi glared steadily back at him, her blue eyes darker and more calm than his own lightning colored irises. His grip became tighter and tighter gradually, though he seemed not to notice. Evi ignored it stubbornly until it grew beyond an uncomfortable inconvenience. Her body tensed as her lungs tried to expand for the air his fingers deprived her of. Instinctively she coughed as her free hand grasped his wrist in an intense and irrational urge to fight. It was nearly uncontrollable and fiercely prominent in the forefront of her mind, no matter how she tried to force it away. The ringing in her ears grew louder and her perception of events became slightly warped. She looked up into his eyes, furrowing her brow and wondering if this man with Cerulean eyes would be the end of her. Would Blitz – who had protected her against her wishes and hawked over her every move – be the one to free her from this life? Part of her wanted him to squeeze harder and to make it quicker, but the other half of her fought violently to bring the breath of life back into her failing lungs. Her mind's torn indecisiveness rocked her heart uneasily.

Somehow in that moment, trying to say please with words that would not escape her lips, his face changed. His furrowed brows arched back in a shocked kind of expression that clashed oddly with his locked jaw and striking eyes. It could best be described as confusion or horror, but before she could discern between the two, he stood, releasing his deathly grip on her neck in a sharp jerky motion. Evi rolled to one side, bringing her hands to her throat and her knees to her chest, coughing, gasping and hacking. The air was salty and dirty, but it surged through her lungs like fire, warming her frozen chest and awakening her long-ignored hunger for life. Blitz stood over her, glaring down at her, his broad chest rising and falling as if he himself were having trouble breathing.

For a long minute there was silence, broken only at first by their heavy breaths. Evi did not look up at Blitz as he stared down at her, standing at her feet. She still held one hand to her throat and glued her hard gaze to a knot in the cabin wall, purposefully ignoring Blitz's hard stare penetrating the small of her back. Tattoed on the backside of her right hip was a small but noticeable butterfly. It's wings were deep blue fringed with gold, and within them, thin streaks of white veins. It was captured mid-flight, fluttering away on some imaginary breeze. Blitz stared hard at it, his gaze captured and held there as complete isolating silence blanketed the cabin. The sea was oddly calm, as not even the rocking of the ship disturbed them now. He opened his mouth as if he would say something, but for once, anything appropriate to say had escaped him. There was no order for an apology, and anything else would be extraordinarily out of place. Evi stayed on the floor, her mind flooding with thoughts and questions. She was at his mercy. What had just happened? He could have killed her, but he didn't. A warning perhaps?

The tension in the room could only be described as smothering, as both tried desperately to figure out what to do next. With no words to be said, Blitz had come to a wall. He straightened his posture, as if he had simply found himself slouching, and smoothed his shirt. The noise of his motion forced Evi's eyes to gaze over her shoulder at his feet. Not even divine will could force her to meet his eyes. He paused for a few seconds to gaze down at her face, trying to read to the emotion written there. He found exactly what he was afraid he might: total unfazed defiance and loathing. He had seen that look before, but having it directed at him made the muscles in his chest tighten and burn. Before he could gasp for the air that had been taken from him once more, he turned abruptly and left. He shut the door quietly behind him, as if he were trying not to wake an infant from sleeping. Once on the other side of the door, his shoulders slumped and his hand raked through his hair in frustrated tension and agony. Why must she complicate everything? He growled and marched down the corridor and up to the main deck once more.

As soon as he reached the sunlight, he looked to his side where a crewman sat taking a break near the side rail.

"Do you think this is a cruise ship Mr. Pitley?!" The man had no time to answer before Blitz shouted again, his jaw pulsing with the intensity of expression. Every muscle in his body was poised to draw his talwar and slice the man so quickly that his intestines would decorate the main deck and thick red blood stain the wood. "Perhaps when you're done sunning yourself you can climb up and fix the goddamn riggings on the goddamn mainsail!" The man had shot up terrified before Blitz could even finish his order. The portly crewman was halfway up the rope ladder by the time Blitz had stopped to breathe. It was arguable whether he had been running or anticipating the order in the first place.


End file.
